Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-04-20
Making Farming Attractive.

| In their endeavOrs to make farm
| life attractive it is evident that many
writer's and artists have Overdone the
business. Especially is this the case
with the managers of some rural pa
pers published away out on the from.
tier. One of them presents q gorgeous
head for this journal, supposed to
represent farm, stable, and farm
house in the distant Northwest. The
farm is made to represent a. public
park or the grounds surrounding some
royal place in Continental Europe.
There are hedges of hawthorn, arches
covered with twining roses, bronze
and marble fountains, walks orna-
mented with rare flowers, and drive
ways covered with asphalt pavement
like the boulevards of Paris. There
are also artificial ponds containing
miniature islands and supplied with
swans and other ornamental water
fowls. Near these lakes are arbors
and seats shaded by drooplng vines.
Boats fashioned and equipped like
Venetian gondolas or those used to
convey Quesn Cleopatra on the river
Nile are moored off the shore at the
| foot of flight of stone steps. A mas
sive gateway, with lodge near it,
seems to invite the passing stranger
to enjoy the hospitality Of the lordly
owner of the fine estate. At conspic-
uous places along the main drive are
pieces of statuary. In front of the
house are numerous large vases of an
tique pattern filled with rare flower.
ing plants.
The house sis just too pretty for
anything" It does not represent any
particular style of ancient, medieval,
Or modern architecture, but presents
| the various kinds of ornamentatlon
employed in all of them. It's chimneys
are quite too beautiful to be ever
blacked with the smoke rising from
fires of soft coal. The cornices are as
lovely as silken drapery. The veran-
das, porticoes and balconies are of ex-
quisite design and the most elegant
finish. On terraced lawn in front Of
the mansion peacocks strut, and no.
BILE mastiffs play the part of guards
and sentinels. The interior Of one Of
the apartments of this ideal farm
house-presumably the drawing room
lis shown. Probably the design is
not original. Mos likely it was cop
led from an illustration of the state
room Of some roy al palace at the time
when kings ruled by divine right. Still
it has some modern improvements un-
known to the age of chivalry. 1t is
lighted by electricity, and the floor is
covered with an Administer carpet. It
also contains g. grand upright piano
instead of q harp. The walls are hung
81 II &C <,1I
and the new masters. The sunlight
enters the room through windows of
cathedral glass. The female occu-
pants Of the room are living, moving,
walking fashion-plates. 1t Is evident
that ''thev toll not, neither do they
spin;" and it is equally evident that
servants of various degrees come at
their call.
The enterprising manufacturers of
agricultural implements are not much
behind the artists who illustrate rural
journals in presenting attractive
pictures. The man who drives q pair
OF matched horses before what Arte.
mus Ward called "a elf.adiusting,
self-gathering, self. dischargiug, self-ele-
waiting, self-depressing, and self-righte-
Gus hay-rake" is generally dressed like
young gentlemen of fashion after they
have made their toilet with view of
attending ball or opera. Many have
admired tine picture of g. maiden.
dressed as we may fancy the Queen Of
| Sheba when she presented herself be-
fore King Solomon, who is drawing
water from a we'll by the use OF g. new
tangled pump. The girl who turns che
| box-churn, warranted "to make but.
| ter Gomez from the most obstinate
cream in nine minutes and half by
the French clock on the marble man.
tel, is clad like a princess who is wait
! ing to receive her guests on the ocea.
sion of q birthday festival. All the
young ladies who are represented as
using the new chemical erasive soap,
the never.faillng yeast cakes, and the
revolving futer are not only hand
some enough to take their places
among professional beauties, but to
appear to the best advantage in dis
playing the latest Paris fashions in
dress and jewelry.
1t is no great marvel that many city
people who look on these pictures with
admiring eyes desire to leave their
humble homes and ''go west" and en-
gage in farming. But it is sad to think
that they will find so great a difference
between the ideal and the real. To
prevent the occurrence of disapppoint-
ment in the future, it would be an act
of mercy on the part of the artists of
rural life if they should copy nature
little more truthfully and not follow
the lead of their fancy to the extent
they do. The country has beauties
that are all it's own, and they most
faverably compare with anything that
can be found in towns. The sod and
log house, the "dug-out," and the
board shanty are all artistic, and
they are the kinds of dwellings that
we expect will be most common in q
region of country recently settled by
poor homesteaders. AS the country
gets older and wealth increases they
will give place to better buildings, but